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Ergo Baby Carrier by ERGO baby

Mamas, your backs deserve the ERGO Baby Carrier! It seemed pricey when we bought it, but I've watched a few mom friends go through multiple carriers of lesser quality and I didn't want to waste my time or money. Thankfully, the Ergo is the only carrier we need! At 8 months and 25 lbs, Maggie is a long way from outgrowing it and both Daddy and I can still carry her comfortably. The only downfall we've discovered so far is that during strenuous hikes Daddy sweats alot and Maggie gets drenched (eww)!

When Maggie was a newborn, I used the Infant Insert to snuggle her in against me. At first I thought the Insert was unnecessary, but quickly realized the benefits (supported her little neck and allowed me to safely use the Ergo before she had head control). In the front carry position, Maggie faces in to promote bonding which I really appreciated in the early months. As she gets bigger and older, I am using the back carry position more and more. It only took two tries over the bed to become confident shifting her from back to front - safe and easy!

My absolute favourite thing about the Ergo (next to the comfort) is the ease with which it goes on and off. I love my wrap as well, but the Ergo takes 5 seconds to put on or take off - really valuable when Maggie's having a meltdown! For months I relied on the Ergo to get her to sleep and to keep her napping while I went about my business ("business" = watched movies, read, emptied the dishwasher, talked on the phone, visited with friends and blogged : ). I would rock her and rock her and rock her - having the carrier saved my arms and my back a whole heck of a lot of pain. Thank you Ergo, thank you!

NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator

No honestly, the NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator really does the trick! And there is nothing more terrifying than a baby who cannot breathe because her nose is clogged with mucous. Don't waste your time with ineffective bulb syringes that are impossible to clean. Until your baby can blow out her nose, this will be indispensable in times of stuffiness. It drives Maggie bonkers, but she sleeps better and so do I after I've cleared her nasal passages with the NoseFrida. P.S. In case you're squirming, Maggie's snot never enters the hose so there is no chance I will ever get a mouthful.

NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator

No honestly, the NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator really does the trick! And there is nothing more terrifying than a baby who cannot breathe because her nose is clogged with mucous. Don't waste your time with ineffective bulb syringes that are impossible to clean. Until your baby can blow out her nose, this will be indispensable in times of stuffiness. It drives Baby bonkers, but she sleeps better and so do I after I've cleared her nasal passages with the NoseFrida. P.S. Baby's snot never enters the hose so there is no chance you will ever get a mouthful.

RaZberry Teether by RaZbaby

Where teethers are concerned, I am of "the more the merrier" school. We've had a variety of teethers around for Maggie from the drooly beginning at 3 months. Some that she enjoyed at first have been put aside and replaced by more interesting ones - including the RaZberry Teether. I bought this one early on because of it's resemblance to a pacifier - I believed she'd be able to hold it and keep it in her mouth better than the drugstore teethers and I wanted to free up my finger! Due to its lightweight and shapely nature, she was indeed able to hold it from 3 months, though it wasn't until 5 months that she fell in love with it. Now she chews on the raspberry, the leaves and the stem too. It's durable, unlike water-filled teethers, it can be sanitized and as a bonus, it's easy to keep it from hitting the ground (a pacifier chain works wonders). She chews on it and rubs it against her gums, and I get a kick out of the squeaky sounds. Oh, and don't rule the RaZberry teether out just because your baby doesn't use pacifiers - she may still take to it!